Political Information Current Leader- Kim Jong II (Since July 1994) Government Type- Communist state, one-man dictatorship Legal System- Based on prussian civil law system with Japense influences and communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts, has not accepeted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Sufferage Age- 17 years of age
Social
Population- 22,665,345 (July 2009) Life Expectancy- Total:63.81 years, Female:66.53 years, Male:61.23 years HIV/AIDS Rate- NA Ethnic and Religous Groups- Racially homogenous; there is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japenese, the religion is traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christain and Syncretic Chondogyo. Literacy Rate- Age 15 and over can read and write. Total: 99%
Economic Currency and Exchange Rate- Currency is won and the exchange rate is $27.82 billion Poverty Rate- NA Major Industries- Military products, machine building, electric power, mining, chemicals, metallurgy, textiles, food processing, and tourism Major Imports and Exports- Imports: petroleum, cooking coal, machinery and equipment, textiles,and grain. Exports: minerals, textiles, fishery products, manufacturers, agricultural products, and metallurgical products Natural Resources- Electricity, gas, and oil GDP Per Capita- $1,800 (2008) Current Problems
- Famine claimed two-three million lives
- Two years of floods
- Severe droughts
- Becasue of weatrher only 10% of rice fields could be worked
- Mainutrient, malnurished, and hunger
- Large increase in price of basic foods
- Not getting paid enough so it is hard to provide for their family
- There is always the risk of a natural disaster
Current Events **Abandon disarmament over U.S. exercises** North Korea has decided it would no longer move forward with nuclear disarmament in response
to a planned U.S.-South Korean joint military exercise. North Korea also announced it would no
longer abide by the armistice that brought a truce to the Korean War, saying that South Korea violated
the agreement by participating in the military cooperation with the United States. All talks between
North Korea, the United States and South Korea will be suspended if the joint exercises go through as planned.
North korea is in a big crisis and is on the verge of crumbling. They are having many
nuclear issues in North Korea and now they want to sign a peace agreement.
North Korea relies on its nuclear weapons program because of a crumbling military.
The North Korean army struggles with aging weapons, poorly trained, out of shape
soldiers, inflexible leaders, and corruption.
North Korea
Rachael Janos and Stephen Murphy
Political Information
Current Leader- Kim Jong II (Since July 1994)
Government Type- Communist state, one-man dictatorship
Legal System- Based on prussian civil law system with Japense influences and communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts, has not accepeted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Sufferage Age- 17 years of age
Social
Population- 22,665,345 (July 2009)
Life Expectancy- Total:63.81 years, Female:66.53 years, Male:61.23 years
HIV/AIDS Rate- NA
Ethnic and Religous Groups- Racially homogenous; there is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japenese, the religion is traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christain and Syncretic Chondogyo.
Literacy Rate- Age 15 and over can read and write. Total: 99%
Economic
Currency and Exchange Rate- Currency is won and the exchange rate is $27.82 billion
Poverty Rate- NA
Major Industries- Military products, machine building, electric power, mining, chemicals, metallurgy, textiles, food processing, and tourism
Major Imports and Exports- Imports: petroleum, cooking coal, machinery and equipment, textiles,and grain. Exports: minerals, textiles, fishery products, manufacturers, agricultural products, and metallurgical products
Natural Resources- Electricity, gas, and oil
GDP Per Capita- $1,800 (2008)
Current Problems
- Famine claimed two-three million lives
- Two years of floods
- Severe droughts
- Becasue of weatrher only 10% of rice fields could be worked
- Mainutrient, malnurished, and hunger
- Large increase in price of basic foods
- Not getting paid enough so it is hard to provide for their family
- There is always the risk of a natural disaster
Current Events
**Abandon disarmament over U.S. exercises**
North Korea has decided it would no longer move forward with nuclear disarmament in response
to a planned U.S.-South Korean joint military exercise. North Korea also announced it would no
longer abide by the armistice that brought a truce to the Korean War, saying that South Korea violated
the agreement by participating in the military cooperation with the United States. All talks between
North Korea, the United States and South Korea will be suspended if the joint exercises go through as planned.
North korea is in a big crisis and is on the verge of crumbling. They are having many
nuclear issues in North Korea and now they want to sign a peace agreement.
North Korea relies on its nuclear weapons program because of a crumbling military.
The North Korean army struggles with aging weapons, poorly trained, out of shape
soldiers, inflexible leaders, and corruption.